Shawn L. Bird

Only a fool repeatedly does the same thing, and expects a different outcome.

Recently I taught Career and Personal Planning classes to  groups of grade 6 and 7s.  We have been working on bullying and kindness.  The point of this lesson is that we are all capable of being bullies in certain situations, and in these moments, when we are not our best selves, we can make better choices.  We discussed those situations at home, like fighting with our parents or little brother/sister that can feel like we’re caught in a script, following along the same words and coming to the same end- punches, slamming doors, hurt feelings.  We know the ending from the first word, because the behaviors are so entrenched.  The kids could relate to this.

The challenge was to  change.  Instead of responding the same way, they were to respond a different way.  Instead of joining the fight, they were to say something complimentary, or walk away, or give a gift.  Don’t do the expected thing.  Changing the response changes the ending.  The kids monitored the changes and reported their experience.  Universally, they diffused the fight.  Some were more successful than others, but all were astounded by how one small change in reaction, changed everything.

 When you find yourself entrenched in a hopelessly repetitious circle, make one change in reaction and see how it alters the world.

A plateau is a really great place to arrive at when you’re climbing a mountain. It’s nice to have a rest, settle in, admire the view. Eventually, you have to hoist the pack back on and strike out for higher places, more adventures, new experiences.

When you’re on a weight loss journey, a plateau can be a re-charging station. It can be the spot where you do some metabolic adjustment, slowly adding in foods you’d cut out during loss, and then stabilizing before cutting again and heading down.

Sometimes those plateaus are really stubborn. They send out tentacles and don’t let you leave. They become unsurmountable barriers that leave you frustrated as year after year you get mired there and are unable to move past.

Here’s to the perseverence that finally pushes off the plateau and with a shocking suddenness, deposits one down five or six pounds, landing firmly into numbers that haven’t been seen in decades. Wow! Celebrate the crashing past a plateau, because suddenly not only is the goal in sight, it’s as clear as can be there in the not to distant future.

Perseverence pummels the plateau. If you stick to the plan that works, it will get you there.

Topic #89 When did you realize you were an adult? (If you haven’t yet, when do you think you will?)

When I was twelve, I felt very grown up, but by the time I graduated from high school, I’d figured out that I wasn’t.  I lived abroad for a year, and I thought I’d feel grown up about that, but although I felt more mature than a lot of teens I knew, I still didn’t feel grown up.  When I got married, and then had babies, I expected to feel grown up, but I didn’t.  When we bought our first house, I felt like I was doing all the grown up things, but I still didn’t feel grown up.  Now I have a career or two, the kids are grown and gone, and I still don’t feel grown up!

Perhaps because I have been so blessed to have avoided many of the tragedies that often strike us and steal our youthful effervescence.    Perhaps because I have a great husband who looks after all the ‘responsible’ stuff, I’m not burdened by them.  I am free to do the things that I enjoy: writing, dancing, volunteering, sewing, knitting, travelling, etc.  Being able to do those things makes me happy and carefree, rather than tired and grown up.

I have a friend who has a sign above her desk that says, “If you haven’t grown up by the time you’re 50, you don’t have to!”  I kind of like that philosophy.  I have a few years to go yet, but I am counting on the fact that I don’t ever have to grow up.

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How about you?  Do you feel grown up?

Topic #90: Pick something that annoys you and redesign how it works.

Our population is aging. About half the continent is over 40. Over 40, most of us have some difficulty with small print. We need glasses to help us read. Most of us do not wear our glasses in the bath or shower.

Why is it, then, that shampoo and conditioner bottles have the words “shampoo” and “conditioner” in the smallest font on the bottle? Isn’t this information more important than the brand?

I am really frustrated trying to read the bottles and guessing wrong! I would make the product key word the largest thing on the bottle.

What do you think?

PromptTopic #89:

Who is the last person you’d want to be stuck in an elevator with? And why?

The first person to come to mind is Howard Stern. I find him quite disgusting and obnoxious. His intentional goding to create reaction just seems so negative and destructive that I can’t see the value of it.

I’m sure that outside of his public arena, he can be a pleasant and reasonable person, but the public guy is not someone I’d be interested in ever meeting.